Well.. that was a waste of time and gas!

Today I had conferences with Zane's teacher.  We live a good bit out of town so anytime I go into town I want it to count and be productive.. you know with gas prices and everything.  I am majorly peeved that the boundary lines for this school district are so funky.. we have a brand new Elementary school 5 min. away from us but the way the line is my children have to go to the schools in town.. where every grade is split up funny.. not all in one school building.  So I have 3 of my 4 kids in 3 different school buildings!

I was looking forward to meeting Zane's 5th grade teacher and hearing how he was doing in his new school. Moving has always been hardest on him and I was wanting to hear how he was assimilating back into a regular class room.  Last year he was in the special E-Mints class where they did just about EVERYTHING on the computer and net. I asked Zane yesterday if he should tell me anything before I go.. so there were no surprises.. and with a solemn face he said, "Well, sometimes I am a bit talkative" LOL

I really feel like I wasted my time going all the way up to the school and getting the kind of report on my son that I could of gotten over the phone or in the mail.  She showed me his grades.. 4 A- and 1 B+ and then just sat there waiting for me to speak. Umm.. ok.. "How is he in class" I asked, "is he talkative like he warned me you may say?"  for one she has perfect white straight teeth.. and that is so annoying to me considering how mine are LOL but anyway.. "Oh no.. there was just that one week he seemed to be but other than that he is never disruptive and very considerate. He is a pleasure to have in class"she answered.  that is good to hear. She really didn't have anything else to tell me about him and I was a bit frustrated that I was the one who had to force conversation.  In the past all of his teachers have said good things about him so that is expected but they also had samples of his work and if he needed to set any goals for the rest of the year and what not.  I find it hard to believe my boy is PERFECT.. heeehee well maybe not but still she could of been more prepared I think then just showing me a piece of paper with his grades and a blank look on her face.  I was there less then 10 min. She couldn't even tell me which was his desk.. because they had just moved them around today.  I stressed again that I would like him tested for the gifted program and that was one of the apeals for moving out here.  And again she said they won't do that till the end of the year when they give her a list of questions for her to answer about him.  Oh? "So from what you have seen from him this year would you say he should be in that program??" I asked.  She said on some things yes but it has been awhile since she seen the list of questions so she really couldn't say.  (I didn't do an eye roll.. I controlled myself)  I asked if he had made friends.. was he picked on at all.. you know how kids are they may not tell the parents these things.  She said as far as she could tell he did well at making friends and on the play ground is always in a group playing and if he was picked on she never heard of it but sometimes she is the last to know about those things too. 

I guess I felt like all her answers were generic and impersonal.. like she really didn't know my son or gave any thought into our conference. 

Am I just being spoiled and had good attentive teachers in the past and am thinking there should be more to it then this??  This is a rural area that is growing .. and growing fast, and I know I am not the only transplant who  has moved here and has issues with how the schools are.  Home schooling is looking more and more attractive.  My concern about my son is that he is not being pushed.. he is settling for mediocre and not being challenged.. not being prepared for the real world.

*sigh*   Lilly's teacher conference is Wednesday.. we'll see how that one goes.